Movies in Rural Texas Towns

Popcorn? Check! Candy? Check! Soda pop? Check! The best, comfiest seats? Family and friends beside you? Check and check! Do you know what time it is, ladies and gentlemen? It’s movie time in Athens, TX!

Truly there is no doubt that the local video store is but a distant memory. Walking in and canvasing the building for that perfect movie. Arrival at just the right time was important. Oh! The disappointment when finding out that the last newest release had been rented.

Definitely, the means by which to enjoy a good movie have been evolving over the years. However, there are two methods of enjoying a movie which have stood the test of time. Although available venues for one are becoming few and far between. The movies are big parts of our memories that stay with us forever. The story lines. The actors. The ambiance. Staying tucked inside our hearts reminding us of the people and places of yesteryear. Myers Jackson likes actions movies and is an avid fan of Jason Borne. 

First, how many remember loading up with the parents in the family car and going to the drive-in? Parking in a field facing an enormous screen. Rolling down the window and attaching the sound box to the car door. The smells wafting over from the concession area. Fresh popcorn and root beer! The sun setting as the movie began. The crickets singing in the distance during the intermission. Each of us kids falling asleep before the end of the show. Interestingly, of all the states in the country, Texas had the most drive-in theaters. In years past there were once 400! Today, there are but 18. Of those, two are close to the Athens, TX area. The Apache Drive-In is 36 miles away in Tyler, TX. The Galaxy Drive-In Theatre is 56 miles away in Ennis, TX.

Second, who remembers the long red ropes of candy from their childhood? Going to the local cinema house and paying for a movie and snacks with change from your pocket. The inviting aroma of fresh, buttery popcorn greeting you as you enter. The stickiness of the soda covered floors. Granted, the atmosphere has been improving with the years. The floors are clean. Those red ropes are shorter. You can add as much butter to your popcorn as you want. That change in your pocket is now a piece of plastic…that can purchase your tickets before you ever leave the house. Athens, TX residents have two options for watching their next movie.

-Locally there is

Cinemark Cinema 4

218 Wood St.

Athens, TX 75751 Phone: (9030 677-2003

-Twenty miles away is

Hometown Cinemas-Gun Barrel City

215 Heritage Parkway

Gun Barrel City, TX 75156 Phone: (903) 713-0104